Ballroom Dancing
by Agashi
Summary: Shigure's publishing company is celebrating its annual Kaleidoscope Ball. Naturally, he insists that the whole family, plus Tohru, attend. How far will the Sohma boys go to be her escort? What if an unxpected rival steps up?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"No."

"Just for the first hour?"

"No."

"The author's families are expected to at least---"

"**_No_.**"

"Oh Tohru, it's awful! They're being so unfair, I think my manly heart will just _break_…" Shigure moaned theatrically, well aware that he had just placed his most faithful trump card in play.

"HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAN WHEN YOU'RE WHINING LIKE A TWO-YEAR OLD!" Kyo roared, his face dark red.

Honda Tohru looked uncomfortable. She hated having to take sides, but she did feel that Yuki and Kyo were being a bit unreasonable.

"Uhm, maybe we **should** go… Shigure-san shouldn't get in trouble because we won't support him," By we, she meant Kyo and Yuki. Kyo had already opened his mouth to argue and Yuki was preparing to contradict her gently, but Tohru wasn't quite finished. "I think it could really be a lot of fun. I can't wait to go! Um! That is--- Oh, I'm sorry! That was tactless of me!"

Abruptly switching from excited mode to mortification, Tohru began to stutter, ashamed at her own inconsideration. The three men in her life were left flabbergasted. "I didn't mean to assume that you were inviting me and I know that I'm probably making you more uncomfortable because I'm turning it into an even bigger deal and--" she babbled in one breath.

"I'd never dream of bringing up the Kaleidoscope Ball and not inviting my lovely little housewife!" Shigure had taken both Tohru's hands in his with a flourish that would have pleased Ayame.

"B-ball? Like in the bedtime stories where the fairy princesses and princes come together and---" she couldn't go on.

A ball. With beautiful women in evening gowns, men wearing extravagant tuxedoes, and flirtatious compliments all in the lovely setting of an elegant ballroom… Enthralled by these images, Tohru stared off into space and, despite their best efforts; the boys could not draw her into a different conversation.

The kanji, "Defeat", appeared over their bowed heads. Shigure chattered away happily about the different writers who would be making their appearances at the ball.

"Poor Takawa-san was put in charge of refreshments. He's getting too old for this sort of thing. He actually almost started crying when I mentioned how big just my family alone would be---"

"WHA?"

"Wait a minute!" Kyo and Yuki both started yelling at once. Shigure noticed, with a slight shiver, how alike they could be when moved to anger. Kyo, not the most eloquent even at the best of times, seemed shocked into a disbelieving silence. Yuki chose to speak for them both. Tohru was still day-dreaming happily, glittering sparkles practically floating around her eyes.

"You can't possibly mean the WHOLE family!" By 'whole' family, he meant, of course, the zodiac. "That has got to be your most moronic idea ever! What if a normal person gets too close to one of us!"

"Relax, Yuki-kun. As long as your chest doesn't touch someone else's, you won't transform. Besides, it won't be the ENTIRE family. I doubt that, even with my irresistible charm, I could get **everyone **to attend …" Yuki almost asked him how he found out about the whole chest-to-chest thing, but decided that he'd rather not know.

"I'm not going!" Kyo burst suddenly, "there's no way Kagura **wouldn't **want to go to something that stupid."

"Heavens! What a relief! And here I was, afraid you two would immediately start breaking my house apart over who was going to escort Tohru-kun…" The young onigiri in question was effectively snapped out of her trance. Her eyes went wide and she squeaked out her trademark, "Eh?"

There was a pause, in which Kyo and Yuki both flushed out of mingled anger and embarrassment.

"Don't put Honda-san on the spot!"

"We're the ones on the spot, damn rat." As the name-calling quickly escalated into an all-out fist-fight, Tohru suddenly realized something.

"Oh, Shigure-san! What would I wear to something as formal as a ball?" She looked down and shuffled her feet in a cutely awkward way. "I couldn't possibly afford to buy a dress that I would only wear once."

"Not to worry, my dear Tohru-kun! I'm sure Aya would love to put out all the stops on a lovely ballroom gown for you!" Shigure crowed confidently (Getting more like Aya-chan every day) Tohru's eyes took on their usual 'don't-go-to-any-trouble' glint.

"It wouldn't feel right unless I paid for it, especially if Ayame-san felt obligated to do all that work for free," she resolutely kept her gaze trained on the floor. In face of their beloved house-guest's distress, Kyo and Yuki actually stopped fighting. (Kyo still had his fist raised to strike while Yuki froze, arm poised in a side block.)

"Honda-san, if my idiot of a sibling wants payment for the dress, I'd be happy to pitch in. I'm sure it would be well worth the money to see you looking so pretty," a becoming flush crept over Tohru's cheeks at the "Prince's" charming words.

Kyo's hands fisted behind his back. 'Damn that smooth-talking bastard!'

"Don't let the money get you down, Tohru!" He suddenly cried passionately, causing Shigure to chortle and Yuki's eyebrows to rise. "I – I don't have much either, but I'll be your escort i – if you want…" He trailed off as a massive blush took over his sun-tanned face. Hiding beneath his jagged, orange bangs, the cat didn't want to have to face his housemates when he was inevitably turned down.

After all, he thought, who in their right mind would choose him over that damn Yuki? Yuki, who always knew exactly what to say. He needn't have bothered agonizing.

"Honda-san, you don't have to rely on his charity. I'd be honored if you would accompany me to the ball," Yuki stated the proposition calmly enough, with his usual adoring smile turned on Tohru, but inwardly, he had been seething at how close his precious Honda-san had come to accepting that idiot cat's offer.

He preferred to believe Tohru had nearly acted on her boundless kindness more than anything else… Kyo instantly rounded on him; his defense mechanism clicking.

"What d'ya mean, **charity**! You tryin' to start somethin'?"

"I meant Honda-san deserves better, but with your inferior intellect, I guess it's no surprise that the obvious didn't sink in!" The boys wasted no time resuming their previous battle, with Shigure and Tohru shrinking into chibis in the background.

"I think I'll go set up that appointment with Aya-chan now. Have fun!" Shigure all but **ran **away, leaving poor Tohru behind to clean up the battle debris herself. Had she been anyone other than the cheerful, optimistic person she was, Tohru would have found herself wondering idly how they were going to make it through the next five days…

* * *

A/n- So? How was it? I changed a few minor details, those of you who've already read this story probably didn't even notice the difference. Please please PLEASE, feel free to leave me a quick review! Ali 


	2. Troubles of the Ox

**Chapter 2:**

"Do you think Hatsuharu-san would like to come?"

"I'm not sure. He's not the type to feel awkward, but I imagine with all that's happened, he might not feel up to it. You should ask him, Honda-san," Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru strolled down the street, earning several admiring glances from onlookers who happened to be outside that time of the morning and observing the picturesque children.

It was Monday and the trio was blissfully unaware of the staring, except perhaps Yuki, who was far too used to this kind of treatment to care.

They entered the school courtyard as one and made their way toward the main building.

"We're still kinda early," Kyo glanced at his watch. "Let's go ahead and find the punks now… Get this over with…" Being around all the immature freshman definitely made this neko itch.

Tohru bounded off, happily leading the way, and managing to trip only once. Her good mood these days was nothing short of… bizarre. The two young men watched their little orphan pick herself up before they could react, dust off her skirt smartly, and continue on her merry way.

It was almost as if Tohru was trying very hard to preserve her naïve image… and failing. Badly.

They followed slowly, wanting both to keep an eye on Tohru, and on each other. The silence and tension between them was thicker than ever without the girl's calming effect on them.

So far, Tohru had somehow mysteriously avoided accepting both of their offers to escort her to the ball. Despite their good - if not entirely unselfish - intentions, the question hovered in the air whenever they spoke to her. Conversation in the house had grown dangerously strained where it occurred at all.

In her mind, Tohru was painfully aware of every hint and subtly renewed effort to be her date. She knew that she could never be expected to choose between Kyo and Yuki; the two people she had come to care the most about.

For this reason; and her insides squirmed with guilt every time she did it; Tohru had taken to inflating her innocent, happy-go-lucky attitude to such an exaggerated degree that she had so far been able to skirt around accepting any ball-related invitations. However, she only had a matter of time before one of them, most likely Kyo, got fed up, cornered her and demanded an impromptu answer.

At first, she had nearly acquiesced to Kyo's invitation, - He had, after all, been the first one to ask. – but then she imagined the look on Yuki's face. He already had self-esteem issues and Tohru felt queasy at the thought of hurting his feelings.

The thing that really amazed her was that they both wanted to take her.

'_They really are too kind…_' she thought (the cute little idiot).

The trio turned onto the first years' hallway acting normally enough.

"I wonder where Uo-chan and Hana-chan are?" Tohru pondered, unknowingly splitting the tension around her, at least for the time being. Kyo smirked.

"The yankee's probably skipping and who the hell _knows _where Miss Tall, Dark, and Creepy is…? Off trying to talk to dead people, I'll bet."

"I believe Hanajima-san said something about entering a foreign exchange program."

"EH? She said that? When?"

"Just last Friday, Honda-san. You were cleaning the classroom that day because you'd lost at Dai Hin Min, so I guess you didn't hear. We were discussing ways to improve our college applications…"

Tohru continued to sweat-drop after they'd passed by the Home Ec. Room, the band room, the student council room…

Coming into view, amid the other groups of babbling first years, was a striking young man playing a handheld game and sitting with his back up against the lockers. An expression of rapt but solemn concentration sat beneath a stylishly wild shock of two-tone hair.

"There's Haru, Honda-san. Go ahead and ask him. We'll find Momiji and be back in just a moment," Yuki and Kyo split up before Tohru could answer, combing through the sea of youthful high schoolers.

She froze for a second, nervousness getting the better of her. '_Nervous? Of Hatsuharu-san? It would be rude to walk away now; he's probably already seen me. Gasp. What if he's sitting there, wondering why I won't approach him, and his feelings are being hurt because I'm just standing here thinking about it all and wasting time!_'

Eyes beginning to swirl, Tohru indecisively tried both to move forward and run away, the result causing her to jilt sideways, crash into a set of lockers, and fall right on her bottom.

"Etai!" she squeaked, grabbing her throbbing behind on instinct. Glancing up to see whether anyone had noticed, she saw that Haru had finally put his game away.

His somber silver-grey eyes were staring at her, expression unreadable. His lips twitched upward slightly.

"Are you all right Honda-san?" Tohru's face had flushed brightly, and she realized with a start that her hands were still cushioning her bottom. Withdrawing them with a tiny yelp, she made to stand up.

"Y-yes, I'm fine, Hatsuharu-san," her voice and legs were equally shaky as she tried to gather what remained of her dignity, and smile.

Face kept blank, Haru rose to his feet, using every bit of the grace she lacked. Tohru was forced to crane her neck slightly in order to face him, a small blush still decorating her cheeks.

He was easily as tall as Kyo, if not the same height as Yuki and she couldn't help but notice – she was only human, after all, - how handsome he looked with his dark school uniform clashing dramatically with his white-on-black hair.

She had admired him before, of course, but just as a passing thought. Tohru had grown a little more accustomed to being around beautiful men, but today, it was like she was aware of only him. Things she had never noticed before; like the way the florescent lights above were dancing over his light skin, making the roof of her mouth dry; were blaringly obvious now.

Tohru was grateful that her rising blush was concealed behind her already rosy features. '_He still has a ways to go before he surpasses Yuki-kun in the popularity department, but he's on his way!_'

Suddenly, she realized that they had been silently staring at each other for a long time. She giggled a little, at the strange thoughts going through her head, and her smile became radiant and cheerful once again.

"Ohayo, Hatsuharu-san! How is Isuzu-san doing these days?" Hatsuharu's facial expression didn't change, but his eyes clouded over.

"The nurses won't let me see her anymore, but I know it's because **she** doesn't want me seeing her. Normally I'd go anyway, but they say her condition is worse than ever and if I suddenly showed up… the stress might be too much for her to handle."

Tohru was struck by her own thoughtlessness. Of course she knew Rin had been hospitalized once more, but she had originally thought that it just a precaution, to make sure Rin was getting better.

It was just mind-boggling that the feisty, indomitable horse of the zodiac, was really as sick as she was. '_Poor Hatsuharu-san. It probably hurts him to talk about it. Eep! I couldn't possibly introduce as frivolous a topic as the ball! Not with Isuzu-san on his mind…_'

As if he was suddenly aware of whom he was speaking to, Haru's face broke into a small, but genuine smile. "I'm sorry. Was there something you needed to ask me, Honda-san?" he asked. Seconds ticked by with no sound except Tohru's nervous mumbling.

The passive bovine did not break his gaze off of the stuttering girl in front of him, and this was how the others found them two minutes later.

"Tohru! They told me you wanted to ask us something! Tell me! Tell m--!"

"SHUT UP! NOISY BRAT!" The unmistakable sound of Kyo's fist connecting with Momiji's head.

"Waaaah! Kyo's picking on me!"

"Maa maa…"Tohru extended the proverbial olive branch. "I guess I did have something to ask you two… uh… heh heh…"

Silence. And then…

"You don't even remember!" Kyo accused sharply, patience reaching its end. Tohru soothed him as best she could.

"I'm sorry, Kyo-kun. I do _remember._ It just that… well, what we were talking about was so serious and I thought it would be rude to change the subject so abruptly--" At her pitiful expression, Kyo gradually stopped grumbling, his face flushed.

He hadn't really meant to lose his temper, but the whole stress of the ball was starting to have an effect on him.

"She wants to invite you to Shigure's company ball," Yuki said, breaking the ice, and irritated at Kyo for losing his temper with Tohru.

"YAY! I get to dance with Tohru!" The rabbit took hold of Tohru's hand and ran off; unaware of how uncomfortable the group was.

"Come on, Tohru! We have to tell all my friends!"

"Eh? Uh, okay…" Momiji dragged his victim away, leaving a cloud of dust and silence behind them.

"Are you going to come, Haru?"

"…Maybe. What day is it?"

"It will be this Saturday night at 9."

"Hm… Probably not, then. That's the night I usually try to see Rin."

"Whatever. I'm gonna get Tohru and head to homeroom…" Kyo could see where the conversation was going, and it made him uneasy. The last thing he felt like doing right now was getting in a fight with Black Haru.

He had never wanted to get into Hatsuharu's personal life; Yuki did enough of that for both of them. The carrot-top growled at the thought of his nemesis, distractedly shouldering his bag and stalking away.

Yuki and Hatsuharu stood silently for a moment, comfortable with each other's presence.

"Haru, you may not want to hear this--" Yuki broke the silence softly.

"Then don't tell me." An edge of darkness could be heard in Haru's voice and the rat knew that he would have to be careful with his words.

"Maybe the best thing for you right now is to move on. Seeing you just seems to aggravate her condition. If you were to stop seeing her-- "

"Good bye Yuki. I'll see you after school." Stiffly, Haru turned on his heel, careful to hide his face, and walked purposefully away from Yuki.

The lavender-haired teen knew better than to follow. He and Haru were very close and he was sure that Haru only needed time and possibly some closure. '_Haru's been through a lot this year…_'

Rin's condition had mysteriously destabilized just recently. She had ostracized Hatsuharu once again, despite his attempts to win her over.

It was such a shame. Her walls had truly started to fall down around Haru. Now, however, it would be a miracle for even the eternally persistent ox to get under her defenses once more.

Yuki's train of thought was broken, like so many times before, by a sunny, smiling onigiri chatting in her animated way. She waved him over, her smile deepening with joy at the sight of him. Maybe that part was his imagination.

'_She gets excited to see ANYone,_' he reminded himself gloomily, although unable to resist the small grin that spread over his features.

He realized with a start that he was truly sorry for Hatsuharu. He had sympathized with his cousin in the past, but he felt the ox's pain more clearly than ever, now. Trying to get your dream girl to acknowledge you was a feeling Yuki was getting more and more familiar with every day.

Yet Yuki was aware of how blessed he was just to have an angel like Honda Tohru watching over him. For the first time, he really wished Haru could also see what it felt like.

To feel entirely cared for by someone.

To feel entirely _wanted _by someone…

'_Haru deserves it,_' he thought determinedly. '_More than me. Way more than that idiot of a cat._'

Who better to spend an evening in the sweet company of Tohru?

* * *

A/n- I just want to say how awesome you people on are! Really, on mediaminer, I NEVER got five reviews on one chapter. That may sound kind of pathetic to the better-known authors out there, but I really appreciate the feedback. :.sob.: You're all so KIND! T-T

A few random translations:

Neko – Cat.

Ohayo! – Good morning!

Dai Hin Min – This is that card game they always play. It was called Rich Man, Poor Man in the English anime version.

Etai! – Ow! Or Ouch!

Maa maa – now now.

Cheshirejin- Thanks for the input! And I'll definitely try to be more descriptive with the little fight scenes between Yuki and Kyo. Let me know if you think they suck!

Brite- I agree, what's a girl to do? Though, it's a bit hard to feel sorry for her when the young men in question are as devastatingly handsome as Yuki, Kyo, and Haru--- oops! I've said too much!

I also want to dedicate this chapter to Ayla Silverfang (Don't cry! See? I updated.), Ren, and xDeadAngelx. I hope this chapter wasn't too disappointing… Chapter twos usually are. Don't worry! It'll get more interesting later on!

Your faithful authoress,

Ali…


	3. Terrible Tuesdays

A/n- Okay, for my review responses:

Bonita- Thanks for the kind words Bonnie. I try my best. And if you are still having trouble finding Haru/Tohru fiction on this site, you could try this link (Not sure if it'll work) http/ . If you can't click on it, just copy and paste it to the web address bar.

Cheshirejin- Im so glad you liked it! I was kinda worried it would get boring, but now that I look back on it, I guess I pulled it off in a semi-interesting way. Although some parts made me wanna gag and say "I _wrote_ this corny crap?" Hope you enjoy this next one as well.

Fruitygrrl- Ha ha! Yeah, Shigure's one of my favorite characters too. I was really flattered to hear that you liked my portrayal of the juunishi's doggie. I'll continue to try making him as in-character as possible. As for the Kyo/Tohru thing, I'd LIKE to write a fic on them, but frankly, I can't think of a storyline. If you have a request, let me know!

Ayla Silverfang- Don't worry, Haru's gonna have a nice night… but that doesn't mean I won't make him suffer a little bit first! Muahahaha... I know. It's evil to torment poor Haru any more than he already is, but you do realize that the fat will inevitably fall in the fire once the beauteous horse gets wind of his dinner plans…

Isabelle- Wow! bows low Mine is actually the FIRST fanfic you've ever read on this site? I hope my humble little piece of literature does not pale in comparison to the other fine works you will undoubtedly read in the future. Laughs Just kidding. I guess I got a little ahead of myself there. (Nothing compared to the real me though.)

Ranmayuusuke930- Thank you so much for the review AND for reading my other fic as well. In truth, your review was the one that made me decide to update. Go you! tosses a cookie I dedicate this chapter to you! Hopefully you are pleased with it… It's been a long time coming…

To all my readers- Okay, now let's get on with it! Enjoy! …

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

"No. No way. You lie! Uh huh. Uh huh. Hee hee, of course not… well, okay. Yeah. Uh huh. All right. I'll be sure to call you soon. Ciao!"

Kyo and Yuki watched, aghast, as Shigure dropped the phone back on its hook.

"Now listen you two," he said, perfectly serious. "Ayame says he'd be delighted to make clothes for everyone, but unfortunately, he's too busy to actually attend the ball. Hatori also can't make it because of work-related complications (Or so he says). Kisa and Hiro are both a bit young and I'd be willing to bet they'd rather spend a Saturday night alone together."

Here, he pouted a bit, upset that Hiro – who was less than half his age – was getting more action than him. Kyo blanched at the novelist's bizarre mood swings, whereas Yuki only shook his head knowing that the dog was beyond help.

"I guess I'll have to be content with just the company of the more youthful Sohmas and, of course, my dear, sweet little Tohru," Shigure promptly dodged a series of painful blows to his head. Needless to say, he'd greatly improved his reflexes in the last year.

"It'll just be you three, Haru, Kagura, Momitchi, and I think I've even managed to make Ritsu come!"

* * *

Tohru reached for her comforter with a sigh. Today, Tuesday to be exact, had been very stressful for the onigiri.

After oversleeping (Until Yuki finally thought to come upstairs and ask when she planned to serve breakfast.), Tohru arrived late at school only to be ambushed on her way to the bathroom by three members of the Prince Yuki fan club. More specifically, the same three girls who stalked her nearly every day.

They had quickly taken advantage of Hanajima's absence and finally gotten the nerve to confront their "witch" once and for all. However, the bell rang to switch classes before any exceedingly harsh words could be said. They were separated from their intended victim by a sea of upperclassman, rushing to their classes.

This couldn't really be counted as a good thing for Tohru though, as she was forced to hold her bladder all the way through an extremely difficult Japanese test. Then, to her added misfortune, she saw that she had received bottom marks on her most recent algebra quiz.

Unable to face either Yuki or even Kyo, Tohru was almost glad when she learned that they had both made plans for after school that day. Yuki needed to attend one of his infamous student council meetings, and Kyo told her that he was going to spend the evening over at his master's dojo, training.

The walk home was uneventful.

"Toooh--ru!" beamed a slightly deranged-looking Shigure. "How ARE you? I daresay you'll need help with some homework without Yuki around, or maybe even some menial chores around the---"

"SENSEI! Seeeeennnseeeeeeeeeeei…" Predictably, a sobbing and suicidal Mit-chan appeared, howling for his newest manuscript.

She locked the two of them (herself and Shigure) in the novelist's office.

"Just fish my dinner through the window later, Tohru-kun," he blubbered as his editor dragged him bodily into the next room.

It took less than 2 hours to do her household chores and finish what she could of her homework, so Tohru snuggled into her bed, intent on taking a light nap until dinner time.

The shrill doorbell rang just as she began to doze fitfully. Nearly breaking into anguished tears, knowing that Mit-chan would never let Shigure answer the door, Tohru sadly dragged herself out of bed and made her way down the hall, which was, in contrast, much colder than her cozy nest of blankets.

Down the stairs… the hall… the living room… persistent bell-ringing was the only thing keeping her from curling up on the floor and falling asleep where she was.

She drew open the battered shoji. "Sorry for taking so--- Hatsuharu-san?"

Indeed, the boy stood, lounging on the doorway's threshold. His mouth had dropped open slightly in surprise.

He had expected the little orphan to appear as daisy-fresh and spiffy as she always did.

He was shocked to see her dressed in pajamas at this time of the day. The material was silky and pink with a cheerful pattern of large strawberries scattered all over.

Not that he hadn't expected her to have cutesy bed clothes like that.

What surprised him was that the bottoms were short; as in, more-than-halfway-up-her-thighs, short. They were no more revealing than her uniform skirt, but the way the silk curved around her legs made his pulse go a little faster. Her top was unbuttoned low enough to reveal the barest hint of cleavage.

Her shiny brunette tresses were a bit tousled and she had the fading red mark of what he could tell was a lacy pillowcase, imprinted on her left cheek. Upon finally noticing his appraising stare, she blushed an interesting shade of pink, complimenting her outfit nicely.

He had never seen her dress so suggestively, even if it was unintentional.

She self-consciously tried to adjust her shorts so that they covered more of her ivory thighs. The whole thing made a lovely picture.

More than cute… or sweet; as he had previously thought of her.

"Sorry to get you out of bed, Honda-san," he muttered frankly.

Tohru was beyond embarrassed. Walking home and doing chores feverishly all afternoon had made it seem as though the temperature had shot up thirty degrees. And since Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure were all out and/or being held hostage in front of a computer, Tohru had thought wearing her old set of pajamas to bed was a great idea.

They had been a present from her mother a year before the accident and their sentimental value had kept Tohru from throwing them away when she grew out of them.

"N-not at all, H-Hatsuharu-san!" she waved her arms around for added emphasis, nearly slapping poor Haru across the face. "P-please, come in! I'll make some tea in a minute. Uhm… just give me a second to… to change."

Face flushing more darkly than a tomato; she turned tail to retreat up the stairs.

Some unknown force of divine energy (Yeah, that was it) caused Hatsuharu's hand to shoot out and grab Tohru's arm.

She froze at the firm, but surprisingly gentle grip on her lower bicep. Looking at the younger boy over her shoulder, Tohru gave an audible gulp at their suddenly too-close proximity.

"No," '_It would be a shame to make Honda-san change those very flattering clothes...' _he thought. '_She is a cute girl after all…'_

He wasn't afraid to admit this. He'd even stated these thoughts to Yuki on at least one occasion.

Feeling her squirm a little under the combined weight of his grasp and intense stare, Haru focused his attention on the girl once more. "I'll be leaving in a little while and you're already comfortable, Honda-san. Don't trouble yourself on my account…"

Tohru was anything BUT comfortable; however, her great fear of offending anyone won over her modesty in the end. Forcing a tremulous smile, she swept off toward the kitchen--- and was yanked backward abruptly by his steady grip on her arm.

As her senses honed in on the subduing limb, Tohru began to wonder vaguely how on earth she'd managed to forget it was there. The warmth and pressure was somehow causing goose bumps to appear all over her skin. His hand was somehow velvety soft and roughly calloused at the same time.

She hoped he wouldn't notice as a powerful feeling of self-consciousness took over her. It was like the time Yuki had seen her all dressed up in Ayame's shop, or the time Kyo had rejected her Valentine's Day chocolate… only far more intense.

Haru, at the moment, was having trouble thinking about anything other than the warm, silken texture of her skin under his fingers.

"Ah, heh heh… not sure if you noticed, Hatsuharu-san, but you still seem to be holding me…" she sputtered.

Slowly, he relaxed and released her. Tohru seized the opportunity and fled to the kitchen, where she promptly put the teapot on the stove.

Her hands were shaking so badly that she sloshed water everywhere and had to refill the pot several times.

"Honda-san?"

"Y-YES?" Squeaking and scattering tea leaves all over the floor, Tohru spotted Hatsuharu standing framed in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at the very wet kitchen tiles.

"You usually offer me a cup…" Laughing a little, Tohru grabbed a hand towel and began to mop up the mess she'd made. She jumped when she heard a voice right next to her ear.

"I'll help."

A mass of snowy hair obstructed her vision as the ox knelt down beside her with a large section of paper towel, soaking up the water and tea leaves. They worked in companionable silence for a while, Hatsuharu's thoughts racing behind his stoic eyes.

'_I can't believe I was just deliberately **teasing **Honda-san! If this question comes out wrong, a lot of people are going to hate me…What was Yuki thinking?' _

"Honda-san, I actually came to ask you something. You don't have to accept, I just wanted to offer," His hand descended upon hers unconsciously, and neither one of them noticed. "Would you consider coming to Sensei's ball with me?"

* * *

**Bwahahahahahahahahha**!... Review please. Ali


	4. Doubtful Intentions

A/N- Okay, so I lied. I did not update in an extremely long time. I am a horrible person… I just wanted you to know that I am sorry enough to spend time typing an apology even though I know no one may read it… yeah. So anyhoo… Mucho thank yous to my lovely and talented REVIEWERS!

Juliagulia1017 - Wow. Thanks for reviewing EVERY chapter. Im flattered that you like the story enough to actually take the time to do that. I don't know about my work being "hilarious" per se' but I do love Momiji-kun! No, seriously. We are in love. The wedding is in June. Be there. Oh, and just so's you know, this little chappie is **dedicated to you**! Julia, you rock. Thanks again and I hope you're pleased. :.gives you a Momiji plushie.:

Melinda-chan - Heh heh. I do try not to disappoint, but this work IS listed in the romance/general genres as Julia was kind enough to point out, so please don't be terribly upset with me if this story doesn't have your sides aching with laughter. And yes, I have finished with the whole series (At least, up to number 13…) _and _I own the DVDs.

Hn. LikeICare - Thanks. I try. Am I right in guessing you are a Yu Yu Hakusho fan? If so, then Im gonna have to lock up my precious Hiei-the-sexy-jaganshi merchandise. Lol, hope you like this next chapter.

PerplexedKiss -I'm updating! Be happy, Kiss-san. I love that name. It reminds me of some of my favorite fanfiction. And really, Haru fics aren't THAT hard to find. You just have to know where to look.

ChildLikeEmpress - Lol. Your friend Ashley sounds like a lot of girls I know. I'll take your warning to heart, though, since I have no desire to be broken in half (wimpy fighter that I am). Wait, she DOES know about Rin right? RIGHT?

Ranmayuusuke930 -Heh. I still can't believe how many people have chosen my story as their first Fruits Basket fiction. I hope you got my review. Seriously, I started typing this right after I posted it. I love your story. Long live Sana and Akito!... Speaking of which, my own Kodocha fic is on hiatus until I finish this one. A way of simplifying things… just in case you wanted to know.

Midnight 1987 -Is that your birth year? Just out of curiosity… As for the part about Haru being a flirt, well he IS Haru. Gotta love him! And in regards to Tohru's answer, I'd like to point out that this IS a Tohru/Hatsuharu fic.

Ayla Silverfang - Lol, you're so cute! Which is a pretty dumb thing to say considering that for all we know I could be six years younger than you. The joys of the internet!

TheTigress -GAH! Seriously! Nothinggets me to update like when my reviewers start threatening to die if I don't. I care about my readers' welfare more than ANYTHING! Except maybe Inuyasha reruns… And come on, the cliffie wasn't THAT bad, was it?

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

She couldn't. There was no way.

Tohru's towel fell on the floor with a soft flop.

She couldn't just say yes. Not when Yuki and Kyo had both been trying so hard. '_But why?_' she wondered. '_Why are they trying? What makes me so different that Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun and now Hatsuharu-san, would all want to take me somewhere so badly? Why me?_'

She physically shook these thoughts out of her brain; a dark, twisted, _sinister_ voice rising to the surface of her memories.

"**_Don't get conceited… you little bitch._**" She couldn't believe the path her thoughts had been following. She really HAD become quite conceited… What would her mother say?

Shivering slightly, she raised her eyes to Haru's and her heart couldn't help but warm. He looked so concerned. His handsome face; the same light, apricot shade as her own; seemed to be completely focused on her.

A moment later, she was sure she must have imagined the look of worry because not only was his habitual blank stare firmly in place, he had pulled away significantly so that she could breathe.

Funny, she didn't remember holding her breath in the first place…

"I'm sorry, Hatsuharu-san. I just d-don't know if it's a good idea for us to go together… Not that I don't appreciate you asking me, or anything! Really! I'm sure there are lots of girls who'd love to go with you---"

"Ouch, Honda-kun. Don't I get an explanation?"

He allowed himself to crack a small smile. She was truly adorable, the way he was able to fluster her so easily… Haru had been prepared for this little refusal. In fact, Yuki had warned him to expect it.

He would have been very shocked had the Sohma's housekeeper disregarded Yuki and Kyo's feelings and accepted him right away. Therefore, he had an argument already lined up. She just needed to say her little line and all would go smoothly. He would take her to the ball, Yuki would be satisfied, and he could… _mourn _in peace.

Tohru blinked owlishly, momentarily stunned at the new endearment he had suddenly attached to her name. Had Hatsuharu-san always been so… _bipolar_? Perhaps he had a fever?

Actually, the reason he was acting so "bipolar" lay in the fact that for reasons unknown to him, Black Haru had become harder to reign in. It probably had something to do with Rin not wanting to see him, or it might have to do with the strange effect Tohru was having on him. As a result, it was becoming hard to keep the black side of his personality from mixing into the calm front he usually had up.

Nevertheless, horror suddenly began to creep over Tohru's face, slower than a sunrise. She didn't even ponder whether or not it might be Black Haru, having forgotten for the moment.

If Hatsuharu was sick, he shouldn't be on his knees helping her clean up a mess that was a result of her clumsiness! He should be lying down somewhere with miso soup and hot green tea and medicine and…

Haru watched the little onigiri jump up, going into mother-mode instantly. It was a bit frightening, actually, since the swirling eyes and frantic way she wrung her hands were not exactly maternal.

"You should go lie down quickly, Hatsuharu-san! I'll hurry and get some hot soup and medicine together and call Hatori-san at the main house so he can come look at you and---"

Comprehension dawned on him just as slowly as it had taken her to arrive at this conclusion.

"I'm not sick, Honda-san. You still owe me an explanation, though."

Perhaps it was the utilization of his normal, stiff speech that made Tohru easier to sooth. Her cheeks glowed slightly and she had to wonder, embarrassed, how many times she had come to blush around the passive bovine in recent days.

"Um, that is… I – uh. Kyo-kun, he… and Yuki-kun both…" she trailed off, tilting her head down so that her light brown bangs obscured her flaming face. Haru contemplated her in yet another new light, then decided it was time to broach the subject from a blunt point of view. He'd been a fool to think this would be easy.

"Listen Honda-san. We both hate to see Kyo and Yuki fighting. We also know that the reason they are fighting is because of you…" he waited, anticipating an interruption, but Tohru Honda only slumped there, looking for all the world as though it was her fault that the two boys were completely infatuated with her.

"I thought the best way to keep them from killing each other is to make it so that you already have a date. Namely, me."

"Are you sure that would stop them from fighting?" The only thing Tohru wanted more than for the cat and rat to get along, was for their overall well-being. Hopefully, they might get over everything else on their own.

"Yes, and besides, Yuki was the one who suggested it."

A curious pang of disappointment bubbled in her chest. '_Oh. Hatsuharu-san is only doing this because Yuki-kun asked him to…_' a little voice in her mind whispered. Why did she always realize such obvious things AFTER they were pointed out?

"So will you do me the honor of accompanying me to Sensei's ball?" he repeated his question from earlier, but there was some slight difference in the way he voiced the question this time.

His tone sounded droll and formal as ever, but Tohru could hear a note of sincerity. He either really disliked Yuki fighting Kyo, or… something else.

Haru's haunting grey eyes met hers once more and she felt another pang, this one however, was not entirely unpleasant.

He was just too lovely. How could she say no? She wanted to accept very, very badly. So what was holding her back, again?

"I'd love to, Hatsuharu-san…"

He stood up abruptly, face drawn but noticeably more… light, for lack of a better term. Tohru threw away the wet paper towels and tossed her own sopping rag into the laundry basket. She missed by a mile, but they were at the door before she could think about it.

"See you at school tomorrow, Honda-kun." He left with that kind word hanging between them more solidly than the shoji door she had finished sliding closed. She was effectively brought back to her senses.

Yuki had told Hatsuharu to ask her to the ball.

She couldn't bring herself to put the words 'used' and 'Yuki' together in the same sentence. Still, she had to pinch the inside of her thigh swiftly to keep a few rebellious tears at bay.

'_Stop being so selfish, Tohru. Yuki-kun had the best intentions in mind. He actually WANTS to get along with Kyo-kun! You should be happy, not…**miserable.**'_

One lonely drop escaped from underneath her fiercely crinkled eyelid. It slid onto her lap, settling on top of the angry red mark caused by her earlier pinching, and glistened.

"Toooooooooooooohru-kun? Is dinner ready yet? I am positively _famished…_" A few angry exclamations could be heard and Shigure hastened to add. "Would Tohru-kun mind terribly if I asked her to prepare dinner for Mit-chan as well?"

"Of course not, Shigure-san!" Tohru's voice was as chipper and natural as if nothing had occurred.

She quickly began to heat up some leftovers, and judged that she would have just enough time to nip upstairs and change before anything got burned.

She never DID get to take that nap.

* * *

"Oi! What's your problem, ya damn rat! I was gonna help Tohru-kun make dinner, but since **your **cooking sucks, you had go and make me late, huh?"

"That doesn't even make sense, you inferior fool."

"Oh, getting all creative with the name-calling, are you? Well it DOES make sense because YOU just don't want me spending any time with HER!"

Kyo's voice was escalating steadily, and if Yuki didn't play his cards right, his entire plan would be ruined.

They had, quite by accident, met just a little ways away from Shigure's house. They weren't in earshot, but you never could tell with Kyo's mighty set of lungs. Yuki didn't want to risk them interrupting anything.

"Why don't we settle this like men? In adult conversation, that means we fight and get this out of our systems once and for all." All the blood rushed to Kyo's head as fury and battle-lust overrode every other function in his mind.

He sprinted quickly at Yuki, who fluidly dodged what would have been a crushing blow to the nose.

Kyo retaliated with a swift uppercut to the rat's jaw. Once again, Yuki twirled away as if the entire fight was some kind of elaborate dance. Frustration gnawed at the neko, who continued to rain blow after kick after blow on the rat, who always backed off or batted him away at the last second.

A single roundhouse kick was all he managed to hit Yuki with, but it had been part of a kick-punch combination he had learned from his shishou. It had no real power behind it and merely glanced off the lavender-haired youth's chest.

Through the rage that fogged his brain, he wondered why the damn rat wasn't trying to hit him back. _'Maybe he's looking for a weak spot…' _instinctively he tightened up his defense. _'Or maybe he's just waiting for something---'_

At that instant, Yuki saw a head of shocking white hair emerge from the house's front door. During the battle, he had inched them around to where Kyo's back faced the door and he, himself, could see it over the enraged cat's shoulder.

At once, he faked a hit to the right side of Kyo's ribs, which was blocked a little too quickly, then he backed up and delivered the answering kick square under his rival's strong chin.

Kyo felt the familiar sensation of being thrown backwards in the air, feet flying over his head, defeat and boundless wrath marring his bruised face.

Yuki watched as he landed in a heap, squashing a particularly thorny bush. He decided that a sympathetic grimace was not out of the question, before strolling in the house calling over his shoulder.

"I'll tell Honda-san that you will be late for dinner."

* * *

A/N- The fight scene was a little tribute to Cheshire Jin and all the other fans out there who wanted one. Hope you liked it! Ja Ne! Ali 


	5. Breaking a Heart or Two

Woah, writing block sucks. I know that five months and eleven days is a ludicrously long time to wait for an update and I won't bore you by making any excuses, but really. Couldn't you guys have left just a COUPLE more reviews?

BoNNie14: Muchos gracias! I would never dream of leaving my fans hanging! At least not forever… And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being in love with a 2-D character! They're the best kind!

ChildLikeEmpress: Hmmmm… the Sohma-harem fantasy sounds very very interesting… It gives me an idea for a fanfic! BumbumBUM:.Scribbles frantically with pen and paper.: Coming soon to a fiction archive near you!

N. James The Dieh…: Gah! Your penname takes too long to type and I don't wanna copy and paste… but thank you so much for putting my fic in your community. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Oh no! CATERPILLERS:. Swats herself in the face for some reason.:

FurubaKitty: And THESE are my absolute FAVORITE kinds of reviews. Most fanfiction writers strive to make their characters as true to their series' as possible and when a reader tells them that they've succeeded, it makes all those long hours of planning, typing, and revising well worth it. THIS NEXT CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU. Girl, you rock my socks off!

Naavaserafina: I gots three words for you. Shut. Up. B-tch. Muahahahaha. You know Im just kidding. Peaches? PEACHES! POR-QUA!

And for all the rest of youse! Thanks for the loverly (not a typo) reviews! I wish I could reply to them all, but most of them (and I don't appreciate them any less because of it) consisted of "Your story is awesome. Update." There's not much I can say in response…

Now, on to the Haru/Tohru-ness! Actually, there's not a whole lot of Haru in this chapter... sorry.

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

"But I wanted to be the first one to see Tohru-kun looking so pretty in her new dress!" Momiji wailed. Shigure had put up a similar argument, only his was said in a deceptively innocent voice that fooled Tohru, but screamed of acute lechery to everyone else.

At that moment, almost the whole Sohma clan was gathered in Shigure's house with the exception of Hatori, Rin, Hatsuharu, and of course Akito and Kureno. Tohru was serving snacks and refreshments as they all chatted about the upcoming event.

Abruptly, Momiji ducked and covered the top of his head with his arms, expecting a furious strike from a blustering, red-faced neko. Surprisingly, no such blow came.

Kyo was sitting off to the side of the room, separate from the rest of his family as usual, but acting very sedate.

Tohru's face fell and her eyes began to fill with tears.

When she had made the announcement the other night that she had decided to attend the ball with Hatsuharu, the table had gone very silent. The three other members of their household stopped chewing, arguing, laughing, and whatever else they were doing to simply stare at her, shocked.

Then, Shigure made a comment about how his poor house was saved now thanks to the kindness of his little flower, although even he could not entirely hide his surprise.

Yuki casually lowered his head the way Tohru knew he would when he didn't want other people to see his facial expressions. He began to eat again, noticeably slower and more methodically; she could see his neck strain with the effort of pushing his food down, even though he had eaten with relish only moments before.

Kyo did not continue eating. In fact, after his face had initially flushed bright red, it had turned a somewhat sickly greenish color. He stared at her in unflattering disbelief until he came to his senses and asked to be excused.

Tohru felt her eyes start to water even as she nodded. Kyo NEVER asked for anyone's permission to leave the table, in fact, this was the first time she'd ever seen him leave a meal unfinished.

Feeling her own appetite ebb in response, Tohru silently cleared both her and Kyo's dishes.

As far as she had known, Kyo didn't say a word to anyone since that night. He had ignored her timid attempts at conversation, Shigure's taunting, and generally everything else that happened around him.

The only sign that he was not sleepwalking through the day was that he lashed out more than ever. The neko was liable to drop into a fighting stance every time Yuki so much as opened his mouth. Eventually, things got so bad that Kyo's shishou, Sohma Kazuma, came down from his home to have a talk with the moody cat.

Since then, Kyo had gone out of his way to avoid everyone, only seen by the others at mealtimes and then retreating to the roof. Tohru didn't see him at school the next morning either.

She truly hadn't understood why her decision had bothered him so much, until she burst into tears at dinner the next day, apologizing to both him and Yuki for (in her view) intentionally hurting their feelings in this way after they were only trying to be gentlemen, and maybe it would be better if she just stayed home while the rest of them went out.

Kyo had stood up, torn between wanting to comfort her, knowing it wasn't his place, and feeling that familiar helplessness that overwhelmed him nearly every time he was confronted with a crying female.

It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do to pad over to her and gently tilt her face up.

He looked right in her eyes and said factually, "Y'know, I'd have to kill Haru if **he** ever made you cry like this…"

Tohru's tear-streaked face broke into a watery smile and she spontaneously launched herself into his arms for a hug. That simple sentence conveyed the fact that although he knew things would be awkward between them for a while, and their relationship might not ever be the same as before, he truly valued her as a friend.

It was a bittersweet sentiment, but she promised herself right then that she would keep trying. There would always be a special place for the neko in her heart. The same went for Yuki and Shigure.

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when he transformed into a scowling orange cat. Tohru apologized profusely before abruptly spinning around with a surprised squeak when he transformed back, naked.

"Honestly Kyo, 'I'd kill Haru…' really, it sounds like you're giving her away to be married! I think that as the oldest and wisest person in the house, **I** should get that honor!" Shigure quipped with a slight lack of originality being the only clue as to how happy he was that the stuffiness of his house was finally being cleared away.

"Well, you are definitely the oldest person in the house at any rate…" Yuki answered him sarcastically, even though he had looked over on the whole scene with a small, secretive smile.

"Tohru! TOHRU!"

The startled onigiri came back down to earth with a slightly undignified "Eh?"

"Tohru, who do YOU want to go with you to get your dress?"

"Oh, I really don't mind going by myself. No one should have to walk so far just to watch me try on some clothes…" She didn't really notice the disappointed looks that some of the juunishi members were giving her as she bent to pour more lemonade.

A knock at the door had Tohru scrambling to answer it before someone insisted that the distance to Ayame's shop was too far for her to go alone.

"Oh, good evening Hatsuharu-san!" she was more than a little exhilarated to see him after all the chaos that had happened after he asked her to the ball. It was a strange feeling, but not one that she found she disliked. "Everyone's in the living room making plans for Saturday. You came at just the right time!"

"Hm… Saturday. What day is it today?"

"I think it's Wednesday. I could go check if you want." Her brilliant smile was making the words stick to his throat.

"No, that's all right." She just looked so adorable with her long brown hair in braids today and her aqua eyes sparkling. She wore a simple blue dress, slightly longer than her school uniform skirt and with small blue buttons going down the front.

It was completely modest, but the way it tapered around her tiny waist made him wonder, with guilt, if he could span the distance with his hands. It didn't help that the lighter blue apron she wore made this feature stand out even more.

He found himself grimacing at what he would have to tell her, even though before he'd seen her, Haru had thought about the words hard and long and arranged them into the nicest way he could.

Yuki's well-meaning charade just shouldn't continue. It didn't feel right to him and he was sure that Tohru deserved to go to the ball with someone who really, truly, needed her company.

"Tohru-san, I have to say something…"

* * *

To be Continued. 

Eek. Sorry about the weird time skip thing. To clear it up, in the beginning of the chapter, it is Wednesday evening after the kids get back from school. Then Tohru reflects on the events that happened Tuesday night after Haru left. This flashback-type thing goes on to describe what happened Wednesday morning and afternoon as well. Then Tohru snaps out of the daze and it is the present again. Sorry if it confused some people!

Please review! I've written the next chapter thanks to a sudden inspiration that ended my writer's block. How quickly I type and post will depend on how many people feel like reviewing! Heehee. I know, kinda b-tchy, but Im very tired of getting like 100 hits and 5 reviews. I know Im not the only one who feels this way.


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